Zhao Dong: On Freedom of Religious Belief and the Choice of Belief Among University Students
Ⅰ. Basic Categories of Religious Belief
(i) Defining Religion and Religious Belief Religion is a social phenomenon that emerged after human society reached a certain historical stage and human cognitive capacity reached a certain level. As an ideology, religion first manifests as a specific form of ideological belief; simultaneously, religion is a cultural phenomenon that has historically made great contributions to social culture, civilization, and social progress. Religion is an essential component of world civilization and moves in tandem with human civilization. Different religions exist in all countries and among all ethnic groups in the world, reflecting varied social cultures, ethnic customs, legal consciousness, and political systems. Religion is a universal cultural phenomenon of human society. Religions in contemporary China refer to Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism (and Eastern Orthodoxy) which circulate within our country, are practiced by a portion of the masses, and are protected by the state Constitution and laws.
Religious belief refers to the unswerving conviction and wholehearted devotion arising from the worshipful identification that people who believe in a specific religion have toward a sacred object of faith (including specific dogmas and doctrines). This ideological conviction and wholehearted devotion are manifested and threaded through specific religious rituals and activities, and are used to guide and regulate one's behavior in secular society. It belongs to a specific type of social ideology and cultural phenomenon.
(ii) The Origin and Essence of Religious Belief
- The Dual Action of Natural and Social Forces Due to the extreme backwardness of productive forces in primitive society, humans were integrated with nature. Unable to explain the unpredictability of the natural world, people felt both dependence and fear toward nature; thus, totem worship emerged, taking the sun, moon, stars, wind, rain, earth, animals, and plants as objects of worship. Marx regarded this "natural religion" as a "purely animal consciousness of nature" [1]35. By the time of clan society, spirit worship appeared, taking the souls of ancestors as a form of religious belief. Soul worship was an important form of primitive religion, marking a leap in religious development as the object of human worship shifted from physical objects to the spiritual.
Upon entering class society, the oppression people faced came from both natural and social forces. To seek spiritual consolation, they transformed their earthly needs into hope for a heavenly kingdom. Consequently, the supreme rulers of the secular world evolved into the supreme rulers of heaven, becoming gods who dominate the universe. The "spontaneous religion" of primitive society developed into conscious "artificial religion."
The Basis for the Emergence of Religious Belief (1) Social roots—In class societies and formations, social forces appear elusive and unmanageable to people. When reality is confusing and terrifying, it easily generates a longing for the alien powers of mythology; this is the fundamental reason for the emergence of religion. (2) Epistemological roots—The process of human cognition follows the law of cyclical repetition: "practice—knowledge—again practice—again knowledge." It rises from perceptual knowledge to rational knowledge and is inevitably limited by subjective and objective conditions. Regarding the understanding of dreams or life and death, "people will replace a real, yet unknown system with a new, unconsciously or gradually consciously mystical divine will" [1]242. This laid the epistemological foundation for the emergence of religion. (3) Psychological roots—Religious belief is a psychological activity related to human cognition, emotion, and will. It is primarily composed of emotions such as worship and supplication, formed by certain fears, inferiority complexes, and curiosity combined with imagination and imitation. These emotions became the psychological basis for the emergence of religion.
The Essence of Religious Belief Marx regarded religion as the "sentiment of a heartless world," which accords with the essence of religion. Marx also pointed out: "Religion is the opium of the people." Lenin said: "Religion is a sort of spiritual booze," and "is one of the forms of spiritual oppression which everywhere weighs down heavily upon the masses of the people, overburdened by their perpetual work for others, by want and isolation" [2]62. Therefore, religious belief is a distorted and illusory reflection of the alienated social relations of class society; it is a manifestation of human essence and the negation of the human being.
(iii) Interpretation of Freedom of Religious Belief
Freedom of Religious Belief is Grounded in Law (1) Article 5 of the Common Program [1] adopted by the First Plenary Session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) on September 29, 1949, stipulated: The people of the People's Republic of China have the right to freedom of religious belief. (2) The 1954 Constitution of the People's Republic of China stipulated: "Citizens of the People's Republic of China have freedom of religious belief." (3) In the Constitution of the People's Republic of China adopted by the Fifth Session of the Fifth National People's Congress on December 4, 1982, freedom of religious belief is a fundamental right of citizens. Article 36 stipulates: "Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief." "No state organ, public organization or individual may compel citizens to believe in, or not to believe in, any religion; nor may they discriminate against citizens who believe in, or do not believe in, any religion." "The state protects normal religious activities." It also stipulates: "No one may make use of religion to engage in activities that disrupt public order, impair the health of citizens or interfere with the educational system of the state." "Religious bodies and religious affairs are not subject to any foreign domination." (4) The Basic Viewpoints and Policies on Religious Issues During Our Country's Socialist Period (Document No. 19 [1982] of the CPC Central Committee) [2] pointed out: "Every citizen has the freedom to believe in religion and the freedom not to believe in religion; the freedom to believe in this religion or that religion; within the same religion, the freedom to believe in this sect or that sect; the freedom to have not believed in the past but to believe now, and the freedom to have believed in the past but not to believe now." (5) In January 1994, the Chinese government promulgated the Regulations on the Administration of Sites for Religious Activities to protect the legitimate rights and interests of such sites. (6) In February 1994, the Chinese government also promulgated the Provisions on the Administration of Religious Activities of Aliens Within the Territory of the People's Republic of China, respecting the freedom of religious belief of foreigners in China and protecting their friendly exchanges and cultural-academic interactions with Chinese religious circles. (7) Article 251 of our country's Criminal Law stipulates: State personnel who illegally deprive citizens of their legitimate freedom of religious belief or infringe upon the customs and habits of ethnic minorities, if the circumstances are serious, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than two years or criminal detention. Therefore, legitimate religious belief is protected by state law; university students must clearly recognize what true religion is and not blindly believe in so-called "religions." (8) Laws such as the General Principles of the Civil Law, the Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy, the Education Law, the Compulsory Education Law, and the Law on the Organization of Villagers' Committees also stipulate: Citizens, regardless of religious belief, enjoy the right to vote and stand for election; the legitimate property of religious organizations is protected by law; education is separated from religion, and citizens enjoy equal educational opportunities regardless of religious belief; people of all ethnic groups must respect each other's languages, customs, and religious beliefs; citizens shall not be discriminated against in employment due to different religious beliefs; advertisements and trademarks may not contain content discriminatory toward ethnic groups or religions.
Religious Belief is a Private Matter of the Individual An individual's conversion to a certain religion is prompted by various factors; what kind of religious belief they choose should be seen as their personal affair. What needs to be emphasized here is whether Communist Party members can believe in religion and, like ordinary believers, burn incense, worship Buddha, or pray. The nature and program of the Party fundamentally determine that its members can only be atheists and cannot be religious believers. A Communist Party member should firmly believe in Marxism and use the Marxist worldview and historical outlook to understand nature and society and to guide their work and life. If they believe in religion, they deviate from the Party's ideological foundation—Marxist dialectical materialism and historical materialism—and lose the advanced nature of a Party member. The Constitution stipulates the protection of citizens' freedom of religious belief, but this cannot serve as a reason for Party members to believe in religion. There are sufficient grounds for advocating that religious belief is a private matter, but this is predicated on not hindering the freedom and rights of the state, society, or others. Activities that utilize freedom of religious belief to split the country, undermine ethnic unity, sabotage socialist construction, or interfere with the state educational system must be stopped. If one practices religion to engage in the aforementioned activities, they will also face severe sanctions. While citizens enjoy the right to freedom of religious belief, they must fulfill their legally prescribed obligations. In our country, any person or group, including any religion, must safeguard the interests of the people, the dignity of the law, ethnic unity, and national unification. This is consistent with the relevant contents of United Nations human rights instruments and conventions.
Religious Belief is a Matter of the Human Spiritual World Mao Zedong pointed out: "Within the ranks of the people, we allow diversity of opinion; this means freedom of criticism, freedom to express different views, and freedom to propagate both theism and atheism (i.e., materialism)" [3]157. Religious belief is a matter of the human spiritual world; the right to freedom in choosing religious belief must be protected. The emergence and disappearance of religion is a long historical process. Before the historical conditions for its disappearance have matured, its existence possesses objective necessity, and thus there will be people who believe in religion.
Ⅱ. The Choice of Belief Among Young Students
(i) Strengthen Cultivation in Marxist Theory; Study the Basic Theories of Scientific Socialism and Communism In real life, the fundamental reason why some young students harbor doubts or waver in their belief in communism is that they have never seriously or systematically studied the basic theories of Marxism; they have only a smattering of knowledge or rely on hearsay. Once socialism or communism encounters difficulties or setbacks in its developmental process, they consider Marxism to be an impractical "fantasy," subsequently losing confidence in socialism and communism, feeling bewildered, and becoming wavering. Practice has proven that only through systematic study and in-depth research of the basic principles of Marxism can one be attracted and convinced by the great thoughts of Marxism, thereby firmly believing in its scientific nature and the necessity of its realization, and truly establishing a firm Marxist faith.
(ii) Establish a Scientific Worldview and Outlook on Life If a person lacks a correct worldview and outlook on life, and lacks the spirit of dedication to the development of social history, whatever belief they choose will ultimately become fragile, even if they are driven by temporary impulse and generate intense, stirring passion. By arming one's mind with Marxist thought and establishing and practicing the Socialist Core Value System, and only under the guidance of the Marxist scientific worldview and outlook on life, can one correctly understand the purpose and meaning of life. As long as one firmly establishes a Marxist life-belief, they will remain vigorous and unswerving in the face of any difficulty. University students should set lofty goals and life ideals, cherish the precious time on campus and their fleeting youth, prioritize study and their future, stimulate their inner strength, and study hard to make progress.
(iii) Understand the Policies and Regulations Concerning Religious Work in Our Country's Higher Education Institutions Correctly understanding and treating religious issues is a necessity for university students to govern the school by law and maintain campus and social stability. Article 8 of the Education Law of the People's Republic of China stipulates: "The state shall implement the separation of education and religion. No organization or individual may use religion to engage in activities that interfere with the state educational system." Article 43 of the Provisions on the Administration of Students in Ordinary Institutions of Higher Education promulgated by the Ministry of Education clearly stipulates: "No organization or individual may conduct religious activities in schools." Strengthening religious work in higher education institutions is a fundamental requirement for upholding state laws and the educational system, a basic necessity for maintaining normal school order and a positive environment for nurturing talent, and an important component of governing schools by law.
(iv) Actively Participate in Social Practice; Make Correct Choices of Belief Through Practice Chairman Mao said that a person must have some kind of belief. University students are the main force in the future construction of the motherland; if they lack a strong spiritual pillar, the modernization of the motherland will surely suffer setbacks and difficulties. The younger generation must actively participate in socialist modernization. They cannot limit themselves to learning Marxism from books, nor can they limit themselves to understanding Marxist slogans and formulas. Most importantly, they must understand communism through ordinary work by participating in social activities, public service, and voluntary labor. Only through practice can they more deeply understand our country's Socialist Core Value System and the essence of Marxism, truly believing in Marxism-Leninism and communism from the heart, rather than believing in a merely high-sounding way. Only by actively throwing themselves into social practice can they make the correct choice of belief through practice.